Daily Passage Test for CLAT - Jan 2 MCQs & solutions Free

What are the three broad risk factors associated with late life depression (LLD) as mentioned in the passage?

Directions: Kindly read the passage carefully and answer the questions given beside.

Is depression more difficult to treat in old age? Late life depression (LLD) is caused by multiple factors working together. It has three broad risk factors — biological, psychological, and social. Scientists are yet to identify a candidate biomarker — a biological molecule in blood, body fluids, or other tissues, that is a sign of a disease process — for LLD. On the other hand, studies have found some evidence for genetic contribution to LLD. Scientists have also advanced several hypotheses involving the genes that code for serotonin synthesis, norepinephrine transporter, and the neurotrophic factor, but these ideas require more tests. A subset of LLD, called vascular depression, may be associated with cerebrovascular lesions. Stress that accumulates over one’s life leads to a sustained secretion of cortisol, the hormone that regulates the body’s stress response. Increased cortisol levels lead to the loss of brain cells in the hippocampus, which is implicated in memory and learning. (This brain cell loss can be partially mitigated by the use of antidepressants.)

Researchers have proposed a vascular theory based on the observation that depression is a frequent outcome in people who have had a stroke. Vascular depression is associated with brain lesions, which appear as bright spots on brain scans. These spots, called white matter hyperintensities, disrupt brain signalling and brain circuits. Heart attacks and heart conditions often lead to LLD, as do diabetes and hip fracture. Depressive symptoms can also manifest if a person doesn’t optimally recover from physical illnesses. Personality attributes may colour the origin and expression of depressive symptoms in older adults. Neuroticism — the personality disposition to experience negative emotions, anger, irritability, and emotional instability — is consistently implicated in LLD. Depressed individuals may overreact to life events or misinterpret them. Recent adverse life events (loss of a job, bereavement, etc.) are more frequently reported among depressed elderly people than among nondepressed older adults. The locus of control refers to the degree to which an individual feels a sense of agency in their life. A person with an external locus of control will feel that external forces — such as random chance, environmental factors, or the actions of others — are more responsible for the events that occur in their own life. The 1995 Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam found that the emergence and persistence of depressive symptoms were predicted by having an external locus of control.

Q. According to the 1995 Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam, what predicts the emergence and persistence of depressive symptoms?

Which of the following statements correctly describe the implications associated with an external locus of control as mentioned in the passage?

Which of the following statements undermines the argument that depressed individuals might exhibit heightened reactions or misinterpretations of life events?

Which of the following statement/s provide additional support for the argument that treating depression in older age is particularly challenging?